This is the LOVEJIHADI blog and I am currently reporting from the cyber-frontlines in the many contested Muslim worlds. Follow me on twitter @parvezsharma or join me on Facebook at Parvez Hussein Sharma and try to watch A JIHAD FOR LOVE
Ground-breaking new FILM and BOOK coming soon, and when that happens I will blog more often.

28.1.08

In the city, I always call Bombay (and for good reason)-the theater was too full to accomodate everyone including old friends that showed up. So we had two back to back screenings.Screening the film in my Vatan (homeland) has been a huge personal victory for me-even beyond getting the award from the Delhi Chief Minister. The reactions have been so profound and to be honest so much more refreshing than the ones I usually get from my Western audiences (which while critical, are also remarkably and obviously different).Saniya from Pakistan who was at the screening writes:

Hi Parvez,

Thank you so much for your film last night. I have to say that the best line in the film was that the, "Prophet was a femininst." Amazing how much effort goes into making a project come to completion. Where you must have started and then to bring it back to Bombay for a screening. Amazing!

Very Best,

saniyaI was surrounded by love, criticism, admiration and disagreement. And every single minute of it was worthwhile and priceless. Pictures and Video will follow when I return to the US.

And Shabnam writes To, Mr. Parvez It was a good experience watching Jihad for Love yesterday... Its a topic tht is rarely covered.And this from Ana

I saw the film at the festival at IHC in Delhi. I just wanted to express my utterly strong impressions about the film to the director!!! He has done a truly remarkable work! I'm a PhD student in social anthropology in Sweden and happened to be at IHC at the time. I have a large interest in how anthropological knowledge can be expressed in other media than academic texts, and from my perspective, this is what has been done here! My research project concerns gender construction in South India, so the topic of the film was also very interesting for me. Living in the West where homosexuality is more accepted, the film gives much insight to what it can mean to have a strong religious faith, something we often tend to neglect. Especially the islamic faith is being stigmatised and simplified. Issues such as what can be involved in being a refugee is also well expressed. I find it highly important to show the film in Europe, and I wish you good luck for an award in Berlin!Best regards,

19.1.08

It is winter here in Dilli-but the temperature last night at the India Habitat Center was HOT! Here I am in my hometown and 400 people show up to the Indian premiere of 'A Jihad for Love' last night. To put it simply, it was an overwhelming and very emotional night. The audience temperature was high and that meant a question and answer where I engaged with that large and very supportive audience for more than 40 minutes. For the Tri-Continetal Film Festival that was a record turn out. As one man who came all the way from Dehradun (more than seven hours away) told me: "Thank you Parvez. I have been gay all my life and tonight you opened up a door and gave me courage that I will take away". A group of young Muslim men and I debated for quite a while after the screening-the consensus amongst them was that while they could not say that homosexuality was acceptable in Islam, they were going away with atleast a significant amount to think about. We spoke about the finer aspects of the film, for long in Hindi and Urdu-as I found it easier to communicate the ideas I had in our own languages. They promised me that they would try and spread the word so that more people-and especially young Muslims in India could engage with the film. Clearly many discussions remain to be had and I feel fortunate and blessed to bring this discussion to a clearly engaged and very supportive hometown crowd. The film has also won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Award here and it was ironic for me to recieve the award from the heart of the Delhi political and bureaucratic scene-Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit gave me the award.

This is home my friends and nothing can be a greater or more personal journey for me than to bring this film here. For 400 people to show up to see this film in a week that has seen some of the worst personal attacks on many Muslim intellectuals in India, is a sign of significant hope. I promise to keep you all updated on these rich and meaningful discussions here in India, the worlds only real democracy in my opinion and certainly a nation that has the worlds second largest Muslim population.

The film will also probably get seen by millions more here. For now- I cannot reveal how, but keep watching this space for more updates from here and from the road.

Clearly coming to a non-Western audience for the first time with this film-is a huge personal victory for me and points the way forward to discussions and debate that will be remarkably different.

I am also going to be up-loading an unedited video someone filmed of a portion of the question and answer-so you see it, as it was ; )

Followers

A JIHAD FOR LOVE TRAILER

This JIHAD IS ON FIRE

September 2007 is when I started (with a finished film, my first) and now some 49 countries and 8 million people later, the whole world is talking. The movement around this work has begun worldwide. We will be screening next year around the world and yes in Muslim countries as well.

For more updates email me at parvezsharmaATgmailDOTcom and post your comments here as well.

Imam Muhsin Hendricks and his website for the Inner Circle

For Questions on Islam and Homosexuality Email the Imam directly at muhsin@theinnercircle.org.za